The
GNOME
desktop
(GNOME
stands
for
GNU
Network
Object
Model
Environment)
is GNU
(open
source)
software
that
can
be run
on a
number
of Linux
distributions;
it also
runs
on some
UNIX
implementations.
GNOME
is a
desktop
environment
that
provides
the
GUI
that
you
see
and
use
as you
work
in NLD.

GNOME
was
created
and
is updated
by the
GNOME
Project.
The
GNOME
community
of developers
is one
of the
first
free
software
groups
to create
human
interface
guidelines
for
the
GNOME
desktop,
which
are
also
suggested
guidelines
for
programmers
creating
applications
for
Linux-based
systems.

See
this
website
for
more
information
about
GNOME
and
the
GNOME
project.

The
actual
graphical
display
system
that
allows
you
to use
GNOME
and
other
desktop
environments
such
as KDE
on a
Linux
system
(such
as NLD)
is the
X Window
System.
The
X Window
System
contains
the
programming
code
that
allows
the
system
to display
items
in a
graphical
format
(rather
than
text
only).

Key Term

X
Window SystemThe
graphical display system used
by many Linux implementations
including NLD.

When
you
configure
items
such
as your
monitor,
graphics
card,
and
display
resolution,
you
are
actually
configuring
the
X Window
System.
Because
the
NLD
installation
process
automatically
configures
most
X Window
System
settings
for
you,
you
can
work
in GNOME
without
worrying
too
much
about
what
the
X Window
System
is up
to (although
when
you
do change
display
settings,
you
are
configuring
the
X Window
System).
Because
it is
GNOME
that
we actually
interface
with
(rather
than
the
X Window
system),
we should
take
a closer
look
at GNOME's
geography.

GNOME
provides
a desktop
workspace
that
contains
a set
of default
desktop
icons,
a top
and
bottom
panel,
and
a menu
system
in the
top
panel.
Let's
break
out
and
define
the
various
areas
of the
GNOME
desktop
for
clarity:

Desktop
iconsA
set of default icons resides on
the NLD desktop: Computer, Home,
floppy (if one exists on the computer),
CD or DVD (depending on the type
of drive installed), and Trash.
The Computer icon provides access
to the computer's
removable media drives (floppy
and CD for example), the file
system (folders on the computer),
and the Network (this icon allows
you to browse the local area network).
The Trash icon provides quick
access to the Trash folder, which
holds all recently deleted files
and folders.

Top
panelThe
top panel provides access to the
NLD menus (Program, System, Help)
and quickstart icons for the Mozilla
Firefox browser, Novell Evolution,
and OpenOffice.org Write. Two
additional quickstart icons, Network
Connection and Updates, also appear
on the top panel as does the Volume
Control and current date/time.

Bottom
panelThe
bottom panel contains the Show
Desktop icon (which is used to
clear the desktop by minimizing
all currently open windows) and
the Workspace Switcher. The Workspace
Switcher allows you to work on
multiple virtual desktops. Each
of these separate workspaces can
contain open windows and running
applications.

Key Term

Virtual
desktopA
separate workspace that can be
used to run applications. Each
workspace shows the GNOME desktop,
but each workspace is a discrete
operating space, which allows
you to keep the actual desktop
(within each virtual desktop)
less crowded (with application
windows).

As
with
similar
graphical
user
interfaces
(such
as Windows
or the
Mac
OS),
windows
on the
desktop
can
be maximized,
minimized,
and
dragged
to new
locations
on the
desktop.
Desktop
icons
require
a double-click
to open,
whereas
quickstart
icons
on the
top
panel
require
only
a single
click.

The GNOME
desktop
provides
the user
environment
for NLD
applications
and tools.

Navigate
the
GNOME
Desktop

Working
on the
GNOME
desktop
is really
a study
in manipulating
your
utility
and
application
windows,
which
can
be opened
using
either
the
menu
system
or icons
(either
existing
or desktop
icons
that
you
have
created
or quickstart
icons
that
exist
by default
or that
you
have
added).
The
default
desktop
icons
(such
as Computer
and
Home)
are
designed
to allow
you
to locate
and
manage
the
files
that
you
create
using
your
various
applications.

Open
Home
Folder

Double-click
on the Home (username Home)
icon
on the
desktop.
Your
Home
folder
opens.

Manipulate
Home
Folder

Click
the Maximize button
to maximize
the
Home
folder.
You
can
open
any
of the
folders
present
in the
Home
folder
with
a double-click.

Close
Home
Folder

To
close
the
Home
folder,
click
the Close button.

Rearrange
Icons

You
can
drag
icons
on the
desktop
as needed.
To rearrange
any
icons
that
you
have
dragged
on the
desktop,
right-click
on the
desktop
and
select Clean
Up by
Name.
This
aligns
the
icons
by name.

TIP

To
view the desktop without closing
a maximized application window,
click on the Minimize button in
that window. The application can
be restored to the desktop by
clicking its icon on the bottom
panel of the desktop.

Use
the
Menu
System

You
can
access
the
application
and
other
tools
provided
by NLD
using
the
menus
that
reside
in the
top
panel
of the
desktop.
The
Programs
menu
divides
the
installed
applications
into
categories
such
as Accessories,
Graphics,
and
Office.
Selecting
a particular
category
provides
a list
of applications
in that
category.
For
example,
the
Accessories
submenu
provides
access
to tools
such
as the
Calculator,
Dictionary,
and
File
Manager.
The
Office
submenu
provides
access
to the
OpenOffice.org
suite,
which
includes
Write,
Calc,
and
Impress.

The
System
menu
provides
access
to personal
and
administrative
settings.
It also
allows
you
to quickly
search
for
a file
and
provides
you
with
the
ability
to log
off
the
system.

Open
Program

Select
the Programs menu
and
then
select
one
of the
program
categories
such
as Internet.
Then
click
an application
icon
such
as Firefox
Web
Browser.
The
application
(in
this
case
Firefox)
opens
on the
desktop.
You
can Minimize or Close the
application
as needed.

Open
Settings

Select
the System menu
and
then
select
an item
on the
menu
such
as Personal
Settings.
This
opens
the
Settings
window.
You
can
minimize
or maximize
the
Settings
window
as needed.

View
Desktop

To
minimize
the
application
currently
running
on the
desktop,
click
the View
Desktop icon
on the
desktop's
bottom
panel.
You
can
then
restore
any
of the
open
applications
to the
desktop
by clicking
its
icon
on the
bottom
panel.

TIP

To
quickly start applications such
as Firefox, Evolution, and OpenOffice.org
Write, click the appropriate quickstart
icon on the top panel.

TIP

If
you are running a multimedia application
such as the CD Player or Music
Player, you can quickly adjust
the sound by selecting the Volume
Control icon on the top panel.

Manage
Virtual
Desktops

Before
You
Begin

Navigate
the
GNOME
Desktop

Use
the
Menu
System

Multitasking
environments
such
as NLD
make
it easy
for
you
to run
multiple
applications
on the
desktop.
However,
the
desktop
can
become
quickly
overrun
with
application
windows.
Even
with
some
applications
minimized,
the
bottom
panel
can
contain
any
number
of icons,
making
the
process
of switching
between
applications
an annoyance.
Virtual
desktops
allow
you
to place
applications
on different
desktops.
You
can
then
switch
between
these
desktops
and
use
the
running
applications,
without
sorting
through
a pile
of windows
on one
desktop
only.

TIP

On
the far left of the top panel
is the Window Switcher icon. When
you are working on a particular
virtual desktop, you can quickly
get a list of open application
windows (and switch to particular
application) by selecting the
Window Switcher.

You
switch
between
the
virtual
desktops
using
the
Workspace
Switcher
on the
right
side
of the
bottom
panel.
The
Workspace
Switcher
actually
provides
a thumbnail
of each
of the
virtual
desktops
currently
in use.

Switch
Virtual
Desktop

To
switch
from
your
current
desktop
(and
the
applications
currently
open
on the
desktop),
click
one
of the
blank
virtual
desktops
in the
Workspace
Switcher.
Although
your
applications
still
show
as open
on the
bottom
panel
(as
icons),
you
are
provided
a "fresh" desktop.

Open
Applications
on
Virtual
Desktop

You
can
now
open
applications
as needed
on the
virtual
desktop.
For
example,
select Programs, Office, Word
Processor to
open
the
OpenOffice.org
Write
application.

Switch
Back
to
Original
Virtual
Desktop

To
switch
back
to the
original
virtual
desktop,
select
the
Workspace
Switcher
box
for
that
desktop.
To return
a virtual
desktop
to its
original
state
(meaning
devoid
of application
windows),
close
the
applications
on that
virtual
desktop.

Change
the
System
Date
and
Time
Settings

The
date
and
time
are
displayed
by the
Clock
applet
that
resides
on far
right
of the
top
panel
of the
NLD
desktop.
Selecting
the
applet
displays
the
current
month
showing
the
current
date.
You
can
change
clock
preferences
and
even
copy
the
time
and
date
(and
then
paste
it into
another
application)
by accessing
this
applet.

You
can
also
access
date
and
time
settings
using
the
Clock
applet
icon;
however,
date
and
time
settings
are
considered
administrative
settings.
This
means
that
you
must
know
the
root
account
password
to change
these
settings.

NOTE

The
date and time settings are administrative
settings configured using YaST,
which is the NLD configuration
utility. YaST actually played
an important part when you installed
NLD on your system. Access to
YaST, no matter what settings
you are trying to edit, always
requires the root password.

View
Month

To
view
the
current
date
in the
context
of the
current
month,
select
the Clock (showing
the
current
date
and
time
on the
top
panel).
To close
the
month
view,
select
the Clock a
second
time.

Open
Clock
Preferences

Right-click
on the
date
and
time
and
then
select Preferences from
the
shortcut
menu
that
appears.
This
opens
the
Clock
Preferences
dialog.

Change
Clock
Preferences

Select
the Clock
Type drop-down
box
to select
either
a 12
hour,
24 hour,
UNIX
time
(the
seconds
that
have
elapsed
since
January
1, 1970;
this
is used
primarily
by developers),
or Internet
time
(a universal
time
reference
used
all
over
the
world)
for
the
clock.
To show
seconds
on the
clock,
select
the Show
Seconds check
box.
To change
the
clock
to UTC
(Universal
Coordinated
Time
or Greenwich
Mean
Time),
select
the Use
UTC check
box.
When
you
have
completed
editing
the
preferences,
click Close.

Change
Date
and
Time
Settings

Right-click
on the
date
and
time
and
then
select Adjust
Date
and
Time from
the
shortcut
menu.
The
Run
as Root
dialog
box
appears.

Enter
the
Root
Password

Type
the
root
password
in the
Password
box
and
then
click OK.
The
YaST
window
opens
showing
the
Clock
and
Time
Zone
Configuration.

Edit
Date
and
Time
Settings
in
YaST

In
the
Region
pane
select
your
region.
In the
Time
Zone
pane
select
the
appropriate
region.
To change
the
time
or date,
select
the Change
Time
or Date button.
The
Change
System
Date
and
Time
dialog
opens.
Enter
the
correct
time
in the
Current
Time
boxes
and
enter
the
correct
date
in the
Current
Date
boxes
(the
correct
format
for
each
entry
is provided).
After
entering
the
time
and
date
information,
click Apply.
This
returns
you
to YaST.
If you
want
to change
the
hardware
clock
setting
to local
time
(the
default
is UTC),
click
the Hardware
Clock
Set
To drop-down
box
and
select Local
Time.
After
changing
the
clock
settings
in YaST,
click Accept.
YaST
writes
a new
configuration
file
and
then
closes,
returning
you
to the
NLD
desktop.

NOTE

If
NLD is the operating system installed
on your computer, go with the
default hardware clock setting,
which is UTC. If you have a computer
that is configured for a dual
boot situation and also has Microsoft
Windows installed on the computer,
use local time as your hardware
clock setting.

Get
Help
on
the
GNOME
Desktop

Although
the
GNOME
desktop
is easy
to navigate,
there
may
be times
when
you
need
some
extra
help.
You
can
quickly
access
the
Novell's
GNOME
User's
Manual
from
the
desktop.
The
user
manual
provides
basic
information
on GNOME
and
provides
a section
to make
it easier
for
Windows
users
to switch
to the
GNOME
desktop.

The
manual
also
provides
information
on specific
applications
such
as Firefox,
Evolution,
iFolder,
and
the
OpenOffice.org
suite.
Additional
information
is provided
on managing
printers,
and
basic
information
is provided
on administrative
tasks
and
working
in a
command
shell
(entering
commands
at the
command
line).
You
can
access
Help
content
using
the
content
links
in the
Navigation
Area
(the
left
frame),
or you
can
search
for
content
by performing
either
a simple
search
or a
more
complex
search
on the
Search
tab.

Open
the
Help
Center

Select
the Help menu
on the
top
panel
and
then
select User's
Manual.
The
Help
Center
opens
on the
desktop.
You
can
maximize
the
Help
Center;
select
the Maximize button
on the
left
side
of the
window.

Select
Content
Topics

The
Help
Center
consists
of two
areas:
a navigation
area,
which
lists
topics,
and
a view
window,
which
shows
the
information
contained
in the
selected
topic.
To view
a particular
topic
found
in the
navigation
area
(when
the
Contents
tab
is selected),
select
that
topic.
To view
specific
information
related
to the
selected
topic,
select
a link
in the
view
window
(the
right
pane
of the
Help
Center).

TIP

To
enlarge the font for text in the
View window, select the Increase
Font Sizes button on the Help
toolbar (Decrease Font Sizes decreases
the text size). To go back to
a previous topic page, click the
Back button. If you want to print
a topic, click the Print button
on the toolbar.

Do
a
Simple
Search

To
quickly
search
for
specific
Help
content,
enter
a search
term
in the
Search
box
above
the
navigation
area;
then
click
the Search button.
The
results
of your
search
appear
in the
view
window.
Select
specific
links
provided
as search
results
to view
the
topic
pages.

Select
the
Search
Tab

You
can
also
run
a more
complex
search,
which
provides
you
the
ability
to set
more
parameters
for
the
search.
Select
the Search tab
of the
Help
navigation
area.
Before
you
run
the
search,
you
need
to generate
a search
index
for
content
that
the
Help
system
contains.
Click
the Create
Search
Index button
at the
bottom
of the
Search
pane.
This
opens
the
Build
Search
Index
dialog.

Generate
Search
Index

In
the
Build
Search
Index
dialog,
select
check
boxes
of index
topics
that
currently
have
a status
of missing
(meaning
that
an index
has
not
been
generated
for
these
topic
areas).
Then
click OK to
generate
the
indexes.
The
Build
Search
Indices
message
box
opens
declaring
that
the
index
creation
is complete.
Click Close to
close
this
message
box.

Run
Advanced
Search

Enter
your
Search
criteria
in the
Search
box.
Set
the Method drop-down
to either and (the
default)
or or.
Use
the Max
Results drop-down
box
to select
the
number
of results
that
you
want
to receive
from
the
search.
The
final
step
is to
set
the
scope
for
the
search.

You
can
use
the
Scope
Selection
drop-down
list
to either
select All or Custom (None is
also
a selection
possibility
but
doesn't
apply
in this
case).
If you
select
Custom,
you
can
then
use
the
check
boxes
provided
in the
Scope
area
of the
Search
pane
to select
individual
topic
areas
to include
in the
scope.
After
determining
the
scope,
click
the Search button.
The
Search
results
appear
as links
in the
view
window.

TIP

To
view a list of Glossary terms
(and access their definitions),
select the Glossary tab of the
Help navigation area. You can
view the glossary alphabetically
or by topic.

Run
a
Program
from
the
Run
Application
Dialog

See
Also

Add
Items
to
a
Panel

Add
Items
to
a
Menu

About
Finding
and
Installing
New
Applications

GNOME
provides
menu
icons
for
many
of the
applications
and
applets
installed
when
you
run
the
NLD
installation.
These
menu
icons
are
present
on either
the
Programs
or System
menus.
Additional
applets
and
other
useful
utilities
are
installed
with
NLD
that
are
not
represented
on the
menu
system.
One
way
you
can
run
these
is from
the
Run
Application
dialog.

NOTE

The
Run Application dialog is really
one way of accessing the NLD command
line. You must know the command
that starts a particular application
or applet to take advantage of
the Run Application dialog.

The
Run
Application
dialog
is also
useful
if you
add
applications
or applets
to your
NLD
installation
(you
can
download
any
number
of GNU
applications
and
applets
for
Linux
distributions
such
as NLD).
Seldom-used
applications
and
applets
can
be run
from
the
Run
Application
dialog.
However,
if you
find
that
you
are
using
an application
or applet
a lot,
it makes
sense
to add
that
application
or applet
to a
panel
(such
as the
top
panel)
as a
shortcut
or add
the
program
to a
menu.

Open
the
Run
Application
Dialog

Select
the System menu
on the
top
panel
and
then
select Run
Program.
The
Run
Application
dialog
opens.
To view
a list
of some
of the
applications
installed
with
NLD,
select
the
Show
list
of known
applications.
This
list
does
not
list
all
the
applications
or applets
available.
You
can
view
the
command
that
actually
starts
one
of the
listed
applications
by selecting
a particular
application
in the
known
applications
list.

NOTE

Understanding
file types and finding specific
files, particularly those that
launch applications, requires
that you have an understanding
of how programs are installed
and then launched in NLD. See
Chapter 7, "Adding
and Managing Software Applications
and Tools in NLD," for
more information.

Enter
Program
Command

Enter
the
program
command
in the
command
box.
As you
type
the
command,
if the
command
is recognized,
an autocomplete
feature
helps
you
complete
the
command.
For
example,
a command
you
might
find
useful
is the gnome-panel-screenshot command
that
takes
a screen
shot
of the
NLD
desktop.
When
you
run
the
command,
it opens
a dialog
box
that
allows
you
to specify
where
the
screen
capture
file
should
be saved.

Run
the
Application

To
run
the
application
after
entering
the
appropriate
command,
click
the Run button.
The
application
or applet
opens
in a
window.
In the
case
of the gnome-panel-screenshot command,
a Save
Screenshot
dialog
opens,
which
allows
you
to specify
the
location
for
the
saved
screen
capture.

Access
the
Command
Line

Before
You
Begin

Run
a
Program
from
the
Run

Application
Dialog

See
Also

About
File
Commands

Use
File
Commands

About
System
Commands

Use
System
Commands

Although
GNOME
provides
easy
access
to applications
and
applets
using
the
menu
system
and
the
Run
Application
dialog,
there
may
be occasions
when
you
need
to access
a command
shell
and
work
at the
command
line.
The
information
provided
here
is not
a comprehensive
look
at the
command
shell
or the
various
commands
that
can
be run
at the
command
line
but
is a
primer
to provide
you
with
an overview
of the
command
shell.

NOTE

Shell
commands consist of an actual
command and optional switches,
which allow for certain options
with a particular command. After
typing a command and any accompanying
switches, press Enter to
invoke the command.

In
NLD
the
default
terminal
or shell
program
is GNOME
Terminal.
This
terminal
allows
you
to work
at the
command
line
without
leaving
the
NLD
desktop.
Most
shell
commands
really
come
in two
flavors:
commands
that
provide
an immediate
response,
such
as the ls command,
which
provides
a list
of files
in the
current
folder,
and
shell
commands
that
start
a particular
command-line
utility.
For
example,
the passwd command
starts
a utility
that
walks
you
through
the
process
of changing
your
user
password.

NOTE

You
may wonder why you should even
consider working with shell commands
when GNOME provides desktop utilities
and tools that take care of most
of your day-to-day needs in terms
of managing files. It is a good
idea to know a few file and system
commands and to be aware of the
capabilities of the command shell,
particularly if you decide you
want to expand your knowledge
of the Linux system over time
(from user to "better" user).

Open
the
GNOME
Terminal

Select
the Programs menu
on the
top
panel,
select
the System
Tools submenu,
and
then
select Terminal.
The
GNOME
Terminal
opens
on the
desktop.
The
command
line
in the
terminal
consists
of your
username@linux.
You
enter
commands
at the
command
line.

Maximize
the
Terminal

It
is easier
to view
the
results
of shell
commands
if you
maximize
the
terminal
window.
Click
the Maximize button
on the
window.
Now
you
are
ready
to enter
shell
commands.

Execute
the
Command

A
good
command
utility
to try
out
is the passwd command,
which
allows
you
to change
your
user
password.
At the
command
line
type passwd and
then
press Enter.
Type
your
current
password
and
then
press Enter.
Then
type
your
new
password
and
press Enter.
Reenter
the
new
password
and
press Enter.
The
password
has
been
changed.

TIP

To
clear the entries currently on
the terminal screen, type clear and
then press Enter.

TIP

You
can get help on a command by typing
the command followed by --
help (such
as ls
--help).
To view the manual information
for a particular command, type
the command and then type man and
press Enter. This opens the manual
for the command. You can use the
up and down arrow keys to move
through the manual (the spacebar
moves you down one screen at a
time). To exit the manual for
the command (or any manual pages
that you access at the command
line) press the q key on the keyboard.

About
File
Commands

Before
You
Begin

Access
the
Command
Line

See
Also

Use
Nautilus
to
Manage
Folders

Browse
and
Open
Files

Find
Files

You
can
list
and
manipulate
the
files
in your
folders
from
the
command
line.
NLD
provides
the
Nautilus
File
Manager,
which
allows
you
to manage
your
files
using
a GUI
utility.
You
will
probably
want
to use
Nautilus
for
most
of your
file
work.
However,
it is
not
a bad
idea
to know
and
understand
a few
file
management
shell
commandsat
least
some
of the
basic
file
commands.
Table
3.1
lists
a few
file
management
commands
that
you
can
use
in the
GNOME
Terminal.

Table
3.1
File
Management
Commands

Command

Purpose

ls

Lists
the files in the current directory.

cd

Used
to change to a particular directory
folder; for example, cd Documents
would move you from the current
parent folder to a subfolder
named Documents. The cd command
would return you to the parent
folder.

mkdir

Used
to create a new directory. For
example, mkdir joe would place
a new directory (subfolder)
in the current folder.

rmdir

Used
to remove a directory. From
the folder's
parent directory, type rmdir followed
by the folder name. For example, rmdir
joe would
remove the joe folder (the folder
must be empty to be removed).

copy

Used
to copy a file from one folder
to another. For example, to
copy a file from the current
folder to another folder the
syntax would be copy filename.

rm

Used
to delete a file. The syntax
is rm filename. Be careful with
this command; it does not provide
you with a second chance in
terms of deleting a file.

For
a
complete
listing
of
Linux
commands
by
category
check
out
this
website.

Remember
that
Linux
commands
and
references
are
case-sensitive.
So if
a folder
begins
with
a capital
letter,
you
must
type
the
name
exactly
to manipulate
that
folder.
In terms
of experimenting
with
folders
and
files
at the
command
line,
you
can
create
new
folders
within
your
Home
folder
and
keep
documents
and
other
files
that
you
use
in the
Documents
subfolder.

Use
File
Commands

Before
You
Begin

Access
the
Command
Line

About
File
Commands

When
you
open
the
terminal
window,
you
are
in your
Home
directory.
Within
the
home
directory
are
the
subfolders:
bin,
Desktop,
Documents,
and
public_HTML.
You
can
use
commands
such
as ls, cd,
and mkdir to
view
the
contents
of these
folders
and
to make
new
subfolders.

Use
the
ls
Command

In
the
GNOME
Terminal
window,
type ls at
the
command
line
and
then
press Enter.
The
contents
of your
Home
folder
are
listed.

Use
the
cd
Command

Type cd
Documents at
the
command
line
and
press Enter.
This
changes
the
location
to
the
Documents
subfolder.
To
view
whether
any
files
are
in
this
subfolder
use
the ls command.
To
return
to
the
main
Home
folder,
type cd and
press Enter.

TIP

To
recycle through your recently
used commands, press the up arrow
key on the keyboard.

Use
the
mkdir
Command

You
can
create
a new
subfolder
within
your
Home
folder.
Type mkdir
special (where
the
new
subfolder
will
be special)
and
then
press Enter.
To view
the
new
subfolder
run
the ls command.

Use
the
rmdir
Command

To
remove
a directory
from
the
current
parent
folder,
such
as the
special
subfolder
created
in step
3, use
the rmdir command.
Type rmdir
special and
then
press Enter.
When
you
run
the ls command
you
will
see
that
the
folder
has
been
deleted.

NOTE

When
you create a new subfolder, you
typically will use it to hold
files. You can copy files from
any of your folders to another
folder using the copy command.

Exit
the
Shell

When
you
have
finished
working
with
the
shell
commands
in the
terminal
window,
you
can
close
the
terminal.
Type exit at
the
command
line
and
then
press Enter.
You
are
returned
to the
NLD
desktop.

About
System
Commands

Before
You
Begin

Access
the
Command
Line

There
are
also
shell
commands
that
can
quickly
provide
you
with
information
related
to your
computer
system.
For
example,
you
can
use
the df command
to view
statistics
related
to your
hard
drive
including
the
total
amount
of disk
space
and
the
free
space
available.
Other
system
shell
commands
can
list
information
related
to your
computer's
memory
and
swap
space
and
provide
a list
of processes
(programs)
that
are
currently
running.
Table
3.2
provides
a list
of some
of the
shell
system
commands.

Table
3.2
System
Commands

Command

Purpose

df

Lists
the total disk space, space
currently in use, and the free
space (df stands
for disk
free).

du

Shows
the total amount of disk space
in use in the current folder.

free

Shows
statistics on current memory
and swap file use.

date

Shows
the current system time.

ps

Displays
a list of currently running
processes (programs).

kill

Used
to terminate a process. This
is a sort of last-ditch effort
to kill a program that won't
shut down. The syntax is kill
process ID.

The
system
commands
provided
in Table
3.2
are
used
to view
information
about
the
system.
The
only "dangerous" command
is kill. kill should
be used
only
in cases
where
you
cannot
get
an application
to close
in NLD
after
you
have
tried
all
other
possibilities.
To use kill you
must
find
the
process
ID for
the
offending
application
using
the ps command.

TIP

Again,
you may wonder why you need to
know anything about the command
line. It actually provides one
of your recourses for troubleshooting
when you are having problems with
your system. If you are still
feeling squeamish about the command
line and system commands, check
out the System Monitor. This desktop
tool allows you to view running
processes and usage statistics
related to the computer's
memory and processor. Select Programs,
System Tools, and then System
Monitor.

Use
System
Commands

Before
You
Begin

Access
the
Command
Line

About
System
Commands

A number
of system
commands
are
available
to the
end-user
such
as df and
and du that
allow
you
to view
the
disk
space
currently
used
and
the
amount
of disk
space
occupied
by a
particular
folder,
respectively.
These
system
commands
do not
require
you
to be
be logged
on as
root
(the
superuser
administrator
account).

Use
the
df
Command

In
the
GNOME
Terminal
window,
type df at
the
command
line
and
then
press Enter.
This
shows
you
the
amount
of disk
space
used
(and
the
percentage
used)
and
the
amount
of free
space
on the
drive
(drive
meaning
volume).

Use
the
du
Command

Use
the ls and cd commands
to locate
one
of your
folders.
Type du and
then
press Enter.
This
shows
the
amount
of disk
space
used
in that
folder.

Use
the
free
Command

Type free at
the
command
prompt
and
then
press Enter.
This
shows
you
memory
use
and
swap
file
statistics.

Use
the
ps
Command

To
view
currently
running
processes,
type ps at
the
command
line
and
press Enter.
The
number
of processes
listed
depends
on what
you
were
running
on the
NLD
desktop
before
initiating
the ps command.
Note
that
a pid
or process
id is
supplied
for
each
running
process
(process
really
being
synonymous
with
program).
You
would
use
the
pid
with
the kill command
to terminate
an errant
process.

After
you
have
worked
with
some
of the
system
commands,
you
can
close
the
terminal
window.
Type exit and
then
press Enter to
return
to the
NLD
desktop.

NOTE

The
root account (the administrator
account) has been mentioned in
this chapter and the fact that
some NLD settings can be changed
only when you know the root password.
You can also administer NLD from
the command shell, and there are
a large number of commands and
command utilities available to
root. To access the root account
at the command line, type su and
then press Enter.
Type the root password and then
press Enter again.
If you are really interested in
more of the administrative possibilities
related to NLD, you may want to
check out the book Novell
Linux Desktop 9 Administrator's
Handbook by
Emmett Dulaney.